Inca Trail Altitude Sickness
The best way to prevent "Soroche"
is to make a gradual ascension. If the visitor has the time and is able to
spend the first nights in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, he (or she) will be
less prone to suffer from altitude sickness. It is very important that those
that arrive in Cusco carry out their activities gradually. We recommend that
you rest the first day, eat little and only light food, and enjoy the delicious
coca leaf tea (most touristic places have Coca Tea, part of the Inca Culture).
Kondor Group I: Prepare yourself for
travelling to high Inca elevations
Basic Concepts
At high elevations, the amount of oxygen in
the atmosphere, percentage wise, is the same as at sea level. But when
barometric pressures diminish, so does the pressure of oxygen present in
tissues (thereby causing Hypoxia). This physical phenomenon explains why the
quantity of oxygen molecules per breath inhaled is lower at higher elevations
than it is at sea level. Faced with this type of challenge, individuals evolve
acclimatization procedures that engage most of their systems: respiratory,
blood & circulatory, renal, and nervous. The evolved physiological
mechanisms tend to normalize the amount of oxygen in their tissues. These
pathologies can manifest themselves in people intolerant to high elevations;
mainly the first week, but can be avoided by being aware of what their initial
symptoms are, and stopping them from fully developing.
For there to be normal
activity, an adequate supply of oxygen must first be secured. Peripheral chemoreceptors,
or nerve endings, serve as sensors of the amount of oxygen that enters into the
bloodstream. Nerve endings swiftly react to changes of oxygen pressure in
arterial blood, and inform the nervous centers that control breathing and
cardiac cycles. This information brings about a progressive increase in
pulmonary ventilation, which can be observed during the first few days at high
elevations (3 to 5 days). This process is called “Ventilatory Acclimatization.”
Concentrations of Nor-adrenaline and Adrenaline in the blood increase. This
brings about a rise in cardiac frequency, regardless of whether the individual
is in repose or working out. If the exposure to high altitudes is long enough,
the first adaptation strategies - respiratory and cardiovascular adjustments -
give way to less strenuous mechanisms - mainly an increased production of red
blood cells - that improve the transport of oxygen from the environment into
the tissues. Adaptive reactions to high elevations may cause certain disorders,
however, either by the over-functioning or under-functioning of the mechanisms
involved in the acclimatization to high elevations.
These disorders can and
should be avoided, by following the recommendations set forth in the second
part of this brochure. The time and quality of the acclimatization process
varies from person to person. It has nothing to do with previous physical
training, or the number of times a person has been in high elevations. If you
have to travel to elevations higher than 3,500 meters (11,480 feet) above sea
level and have to stay there, it’s very important to prevent the onset of two
distinctive pathologies produced by high elevations: pulmonary edema or brain
edema.
Medication
1.
Acetazolamide (NC. Diamox) - 1
tablet every 12 hours, 24 hours before the trip - Half a tablet every 12 hours
until the third day in high elevations
2.
Paracetamol - 1 tablet every 8
hours, in case of headache.
3.
Ibuprofen 1 400 mg pill before
the trip and in case of headaches that don’t lessen with Paracetamol take one
Ibuprofen every 12 hours after meals (it may produce stomach ache).
In case of continued altitude sickness,
seek medical help. You must receive oxygen or be promptly removed to a lower
elevation.
Kondor Group II: General recommendations
for people traveling to high elevations
The day before your travel:
1.
Sleep well.
2.
Don’t eat foods that are hard
to digest.
3.
Don’t drink alcoholic beverages
The day you arrive:
1.
Refrain from strenuous physical
activity.
2.
Drink at least one liter of
water a day.
3.
Eat small quantities of food,
preferably carbohydrates.
4.
Wear appropriate clothing to
stay warm.
5.
Complete rest is recommended
for people with altitude sickness scores higher than six points (see below).
6.
Don’t take sleeping pills or
tranquilizers.
The second to the fourth day after your
arrival
1.
Refrain from strenuous physical
activity.
2.
Drink plenty of liquids,
commensurate to your physical activity.
3.
Don’t eat foods that are hard
to digest.
4.
Wear appropriate clothing to
stay warm.
5.
Don’t take sleeping pills or
tranquilizers.
During your first four days in high
elevations refrain from any strenuous physical activity.
If you feel like you are choking or are
breathing noisily, your lips and/or ears turn purple or blue (cyanosis), you
have a persistent cough and your sputum is foamy or pinkish in color, you may
be developing a serious pulmonary edema caused by the high altitude. If that is
the case, immediately seek medical help
You need oxygen or to be promptly removed
to lower elevations.
If you feel fatigue or acute weakness, feel
nauseous (sometimes vomiting explosively), and have a severe headache that pain
relievers won’t ease, you are probably developing a brain edema. If you don’t
have a headache, but feel extremely tired and have difficulty keeping your
balance, you may also be developing a brain edema. Immediately seek medical
help. You need oxygen or to be promptly removed to lower elevations.
Symptoms and Indications Of Altitude
Sickness (Soroche)
1.
Headache 1 point
2.
Nausea or lack of appetite 1
point
3.
Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
1 point
4.
Dizziness–vertigo 1 point
5.
Headache that pain relievers
won’t ease 2 points
6.
Vomiting 2 points
7.
Difficulty breathing when lying
down 3 points
8.
Extreme fatigue 3 points
9.
Lessening volume of urine 3
points
10.
Score Intensity of Altitude
Sickness
11.
1 to 3 Light
12.
4 to 6 Moderate
13.
More than 6 Severe (complete
rest is recommended)
14.
Inca Trail appropriate clothing
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